Resource information
Tajikistan is a small mountainous
land-locked Central Asian country with an economy that
heavily depends, as a legacy of the soviet economy, on
exports of cotton, aluminum and hydroelectricity that are
three rather environmentally sensitive sectors, as well as
on remittances from migrants living abroad. Environmental
degradation and unsustainable use of natural resources are
constraints to sustainable economic growth and poverty
reduction. With more than half of its territory situated
above 3,000 meters, the country is particularly vulnerable
to natural disasters. The environmental challenges in the
country, according to the recent National Environmental
Action Plan (NEAP) is: (i) land degradation, including
deforestation, degradation of pasturelands, arable and
irrigated lands; (ii) lack of improved drinking water and
water quality deterioration; (iii) waste pollution from
agriculture and industry; (iv) deficiencies in sewerage
system infrastructure and management; (v) uncollected and
untreated solid waste; (vi) environmental hazards and
natural disasters caused by floods and drought; (vii) energy
supply; and (viii) lack of environmental education.
